Eating. By 15 months, most toddlers are eating a greater variety of foods and are better able to handle textures. Offer your toddler three meals and two or three scheduled nutritious snacks a day. Growth slows down in the second year of life so don't be surprised if your child's appetite has decreased. Your child can drink from a cup and may be able to use a spoon but probably prefers to finger-feed.

Pooping. As you introduce new foods and whole milk, the appearance and frequency of your child's poopy diapers may change from day to day. Let your doctor know if your child has diarrhea, is constipated, or has poop that's hard to pass.

Sleeping. There's a wide range of normal, but generally toddlers need about 12 to 14 hours of sleep a day, including one or two daytime naps.

3. Perform aphysical exam with your child undressed while you are present. This will include an eye exam, tooth exam, listening to the heart and lungs, and paying attention to your toddler's motor skills and behavior.

4. Update immunizations.Immunizations can protect kids from serious childhood illnesses, so it's important that your child receive them on time. Immunization schedules can vary from office to office, so talk to your doctor about what to expect.

Routine Care & Safety

Brush your child's teeth without toothpaste twice a day. Schedule a dental visit if you have not done so already.

Tantrums are common at this age, and tend to be worse when children are tired or hungry. Try to head off tantrums before they happen — distract your child or remove him or her from frustrating situations.

Don't spank your child. Children don't make the connection between spanking and the behavior you are trying to correct. If necessary, use a brief time-out to discipline your toddler.

Continue to keep your baby in a rear-facingcar seat in the back seat until age 2, or whenever your child reaches the weight or height limit set by the car-seat manufacturer.

Apply sunscreen of SPF 30 or higher on your child's skin at least 15 minutes before going outside to play and reapply about every two hours.

Limit your child's exposure to secondhand smoke, which increases the risk of heart and lung disease.

Protect your child from gun injuries by not keeping a gun in the home. If you do have a gun, keep it unloaded and locked away. Ammunition should be locked up separately. Make sure kids cannot access the keys.

These checkup sheets are consistent with the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)/Bright Futures guidelines.

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